antonym

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "antonym" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to describe a word which has an opposite meaning to another word, such as "hot" and "cold". For example, you might say "The antonym of 'happy' is 'sad'".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

Modern technologists greatly favour the neo-Hellenic prefixes macro- long, large," macro- longlargepara- "alongside," poly- "many," and the Latin mini- "small," with its antonym maxi-.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Thus, regulation is not necessarily the antonym of free markets or liberalization (relaxation of government controls).

Encyclopedia Britannica

Both drag queens and cross-dressers have experienced a history of persecution, as has the drag queen's antonym (the drag king), which refers to a woman in man's clothing, or a male impersonator.

Encyclopedia Britannica

I look forward to a Midsummer Night's Dream that draws on the rich, oneiric landscape of Super Mario Bros. How to measure a hard day's art Art has always had its Stakhanovites and its... well, what is the antonym for Stakhanovite?

Independent

His avid marital discourse with Iris is peppered with such questions as "why there was a single term in English for affirmative head movements but for the negative you were forced to use three words... why there was no one-word antonym of nod".

The New Yorker

Stiller understands that he will never be Cary Grant — that he is the antonym of suave.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

9 human-written examples

The word was what I think of as an auto-antonym (a term that doesn't appear in Webster's Second): it's its own opposite.

The New Yorker

In addition to its basic function of defining words, a dictionary may provide information about their pronunciation, grammatical forms and functions, etymologies, syntactic peculiarities, variant spellings, and antonyms.

Encyclopedia Britannica

If this is so, it will help explain the numerous pairs of related antonyms that are found: good, bad; hot, cold; high, low; right, wrong; dark, light; and so on.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Finally, it is a mistake to think that an intellectual is required to be intelligent; there are occasions when the terms seem to be almost antonyms.

The New Yorker

Such words — also called auto-antonyms, antagonyms, Janus words, and antiologies — can arise for different reasons.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing word relationships, use "antonym" to clearly indicate words with opposite meanings. It's more precise than simply saying "opposite."

Common error

Avoid using "antonym" when you actually mean "synonym". An "antonym" is a word with the opposite meaning, while a "synonym" has a similar meaning.

Linguistic Context

The word "antonym" functions as a noun, referring to a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word. It is commonly used in linguistic contexts to define relationships between words. Ludwig provides many examples illustrating this function.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Encyclopedias

14%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Academia

6%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "antonym" is a noun used to describe a word with the opposite meaning of another. Ludwig AI confirms the validity and usability of the word. It is grammatically correct and very common, appearing frequently in "News & Media", "Encyclopedias", and "Science". When discussing word relationships, using "antonym" is the most precise way to define words with the opposite meaning. Be careful not to confuse it with "synonym", which refers to words with similar meanings. The related phrases such as "opposite term" or "contrasting word" can be used for clarity. "Antonym" is a helpful term to categorize words and improve vocabulary skills.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

opposite term

Focuses on the terminological aspect of opposition.

contrasting word

Highlights the contrast in meaning between words.

reverse word

Emphasizes the reversed meaning.

inverse term

Suggests a mathematical or logical inversion of meaning.

polar opposite

Highlights the extreme contrast in meaning.

contrary term

Emphasizes direct opposition.

antithetical word

Suggests a fundamental opposition.

opposing word

Highlights the act of opposing in meaning.

counterterm

Highlights that the term opposes or contradicts another.

the flip side

Informal way to express the opposite.

FAQs

How to use "antonym" in a sentence?

You can use "antonym" to describe the relationship between two words with opposite meanings, for example, "'Hot' is the antonym of 'cold'."

What's the difference between "antonym" and "opposite"?

"Antonym" is a noun that specifically refers to a word with an opposite meaning. "Opposite" can be an adjective or a noun referring to something contrary, but not always a word. To express the same concept you can use "opposite term".

What can I say instead of "antonym"?

You can use alternatives like "opposite term" or "contrasting word", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "antonym word"?

While understandable, "antonym word" is redundant. "Antonym" already implies that it is a word, so simply using "antonym" is sufficient. However, saying "antonym of the word X" is totally acceptable.